# To Buy or Not to Buy: 898's



## BigRonS (Apr 5, 2008)

Hey guys.. im having a little curiosity about some Partagas 898's..

Now while ive had a handful fo these in my life, and ive enjoyed everyone of these, i have a little dilemna. Id like to pick up a box, *but they are 2001's..*

Now while i hear its a crapshoot when dealing with cc's from this era, id like to get a little info before i make a decision. Anybody think it'd be worth the chance? hmmmm

thanks guys


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## j6ppc (Jun 5, 2006)

BigRonS said:


> Hey guys.. im having a little curiosity about some Partagas 898's..
> 
> Now while ive had a handful fo these in my life, and ive enjoyed everyone of these, i have a little dilemna. Id like to pick up a box, *but they are 2001's..*
> 
> ...


2001 898s are smoking fine in my experience.


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## NCRadioMan (Feb 28, 2005)

j6ppc said:


> 2001 898s are smoking fine in my experience.


:tpd: As is everything else. :ss


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## Da Klugs (Jan 8, 2005)

If it's a reputable vendor you can always send them back. If it's not a reputable vendor then look to find them elsewhere / possibly from a different year if you are concerned. I've never personally smoked a tight Partagas 898 and the only ones I didn't think were great were a couple boxes of 1999's that didn't have the same flavor profile of older or newer ones.


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## zemekone (Aug 1, 2004)

i have had at least 15 sticks from 00-01 boxes and they did draw fine and smoked even better...


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## SR Mike (Feb 4, 2008)

Jerry, nice avatar man, but why sheep? Oh never mind, I don't want to know :r I gotta remember to keeps those questions to myself. All well, everyone can enjoy a dysfunctional mental image now.

I was just gifted one 898 yesterday, it needs to be a very special occasion as it is from the 80s. I have only heard good things about them. I say go for it!


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## ambientboy (Jun 10, 2007)

oooooooooh. buy em.


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## partagaspete (Apr 27, 2004)

NCRadioMan said:


> :tpd: As is everything else. :ss


Good to know I am considering some OSU 01' LGC Medaille d' Or #4's. I had the same reservations...now maybe I will.

Thanks

T


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## pnoon (Jun 8, 2005)

SR Mike said:


> I was just gifted one 898 yesterday, it needs to be a very special occasion as it is from the 80s. I have only heard good things about them. I say go for it!


Mike,
The 898 Eric gave you was an 898NV (non-varnished) which is a discontinued vitola. This should not be confused with the 898V (varnished) which is still in production and the subject of this thread.


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## BigRonS (Apr 5, 2008)

thanks for all the comments fellahs... any more info is welcome.. im def leaning towards getting them tho, hehe


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## Fredster (Jan 26, 2004)

I've got several boxes of Part 898 V from 2001 and they are perfect :tu. I have over 20 boxes of other cigars from 01 also and all smoke fine. I actually have more 99,00,and 01 boxes than any other year. I don't worry about that kind of stuff. If it's a bad box and the vendor won't exchange get a new vendor.:2


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## SR Mike (Feb 4, 2008)

pnoon said:


> Mike,
> The 898 Eric gave you was an 898NV (non-varnished) which is a discontinued vitola. This should not be confused with the 898V (varnished) which is still in production and the subject of this thread.


:tu


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## tireiron (Sep 6, 2007)

Just to echo with everyone else, the 01 898 V's that I have had are smoking great. I have not encountered a draw problem with any of them.


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## ConMan (Dec 20, 2005)

Any Partagas Factory cigar's I've had from 01 have been more than fine IME.


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## chibnkr (May 2, 2007)

I've not had any issues with these (or any other cigars) from 2001. As others have said, if you do have any problems, a good merchant will take them back and issue a credit/refund.


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## Stonefox (Nov 3, 2005)

Just recently got a box of "01's" and they are smoking great:tu They were covered in plume and have a nice salty taste to the wrapper. Whic:tuh brings up a question, have others gotten a salty taste from the wrapper with a lot of plume? I wonder if the "plume" is actually salt crystals from the sweat from those virgins thighs


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## Darrell (Aug 12, 2007)

j6ppc said:


> 2001 898s are smoking fine in my experience.


Yep, I'd venture to say they're smoking FANTASTIC.


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## Cadillac (Feb 28, 2007)

Just do what I did. But a 10 count box first, then kick yourself for not getting a full box of 25 after!


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## vicvitola (Mar 18, 2008)

I have had them ranging from 0 - 20+ years old. Even the young ones impress. A cigar you really can't go wrong with.


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## BigRonS (Apr 5, 2008)

ordering them tomorrow


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## hollywood (Feb 15, 2005)

BigRonS said:


> ordering them tomorrow


excellent choice!:tu


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## chibnkr (May 2, 2007)

All this talk of Partagas 898V inspired me to smoke one tonight (a 1994) and, if the 2001s are this good in 7 years, you are in for a real treat!


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## vstrommark (Oct 25, 2007)

chibnkr said:


> All this talk of Partagas 898V inspired me to smoke one tonight (a 1994) and, if the 2001s are this good in 7 years, you are in for a real treat!


I had a 1998 898UV today. A real treat.


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## BigRonS (Apr 5, 2008)

woohoo! 01's are here, now off to sleep they go


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## Mr.Maduro (Aug 2, 2006)

BigRonS said:


> woohoo! 01's are here, now off to sleep they go


Looks like you made a wise decision!! :tu


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## kjd2121 (Jul 13, 2006)

I recently ordered a box of these as well. Ended up getting '99's instead of '01's.

They taste fantastic.


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## Bubba -NJ (Dec 6, 2005)

Dang it ! You got me , temptation is killing me !


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## LasciviousXXX (Oct 12, 2004)

Just do it Bubba! The 898's are tasty as hell and although my experience with them is limited to certain years from what I've hear the older ones are spectacular. Buy a few boxes and forgot about a couple for 10-15 years... I'm sure it will be well worth the wait


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## BigRonS (Apr 5, 2008)

i gotta say.. after about 5 days out of the mail, i smoked one.. This was just to see how these have aged throughout their time in the box.. ( i dont usually do this this quick; as i let them settle for at least 2-3 weeks....And i gotta say, this was probably the best cigar (fresh out of the box) that ive ever had.. im pretty excited.. What a great taste!.......... 01's for the win!

on one note tho, the draw was a little tight for the first inch or so, but it got alot better


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## Bubba -NJ (Dec 6, 2005)

Are these cigars considered a "Cabinet" ? Kind of like the 50 cabs or like the BBF 25 cab ? I have yet to buy a cabinet of cigars and was wondering if these qualify as a cab purchase . :ss


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## pnoon (Jun 8, 2005)

Bubba -NJ said:


> Are these cigars considered a "Cabinet" ? Kind of like the 50 cabs or like the BBF 25 cab ? I have yet to buy a cabinet of cigars and was wondering if these qualify as a cab purchase . :ss


I'm not sure what you mean by "qualify" as a cab purchase. 
To me, it's just semantics.
I consider a cabinet a slide lid box of 50. 
Some refer to a slide lid box of any size as a cabinet.
The Partagas 898s, SCdLH Oficios, and others come in varnished boxes but I wouldn't call them cabinets.


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## kjd2121 (Jul 13, 2006)

Bubba -NJ said:


> Are these cigars considered a "Cabinet" ? Kind of like the 50 cabs or like the BBF 25 cab ? I have yet to buy a cabinet of cigars and was wondering if these qualify as a cab purchase . :ss


All I know is that the pretty yellow ribbon says Cabinet. I consider this a cabinet myself. I have never seen a package that contains 50 858V's


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## pnoon (Jun 8, 2005)

kjd2121 said:


> All I know is that the pretty yellow ribbon says Cabinet. I consider this a cabinet myself. I have never seen a package that contains 50 858V's


I never really took notice of that. I stand corrected.


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## Corona Gigante-cl (Sep 8, 2005)

kjd2121 said:


> All I know is that the pretty yellow ribbon says Cabinet. I consider this a cabinet myself. I have never seen a package that contains 50 858V's


It's 8-9-8, not 8-5-8 (you're thinking of Fuentes, right?). The 8-9-8 refers to the number of cigars in each of the three layers, so you're never going to see them in anything other than boxes of 25.

It's a very elegant presentation: a varnished box with a clasp and convex sides to accommodate the longer middle row, the cardboard outer box carries the box code and warranty seal.

I do not consider this to be a cabinet. To mean, cabinet is synonymous with slide lid box (abbrev. SLB). This box is a "boite nature" (abbrev. BN). One possible explanation for the word cabinet on the ribbon is that they use the same ribbon as they use for the cabinet cigars. I don't have one in front of me right now, but I believe that the word "CABINET" is actually woven into the ribbon whereas "8-9-8" is stamped on at a later date.


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## BigRonS (Apr 5, 2008)

i may be wrong here, but ive seen "some" places note the 898's as 898 Cabinets. as in, in the name of the cigar (not the packaging.)

EDIT: For instance http://www.cubancigarwebsite.com/brands/partagas.htm

it notes them as 898 Cabinet Selection (and also as a CAB). But realistically, its a Boite nature box, as far as ive been taught


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## Corona Gigante-cl (Sep 8, 2005)

Well, since I'm home and I have a little time on my hands, I thought I'd pull out the big guns.

According to mrn:

_In Cuban cigar trade, "Boite Nature" refers to a box which is entirely made of cedar wood, and which has two hinges on the back, a locking mechanism, and the presence of "collars", which are four pieces of cedar wood protruding from the inside edges of the boxes. The four "collars" are fully coverable by the lid on closure.

If the locking mechanism and/or the "collars" are not present, then the box is called a "Semi-Boite Nature".

After the revolution, boxes of Semi Boite Nature have a "Brooch" as a locking device... These boxes are called Semi Boite Nature with Brooch (SBN-b).

Slide Lid Box is a box made of cedar wood which has a slide lid. It is also commonly called "Cabinets" as "slang"._​
That seems pretty definitive, doesn't it?

I checked my box of 8-9-8s and, like the box pictured above, there were no "collars" and it has a brooch, so SBN-b it is.

But then I checked the description of Partagas 8-9-8s.

_8-9-8 Cabinet Selección Varnished

Special Packaging: Varnished "898" Cabinets in 25's._​
So I guess the definitive answer is that the box is neither a "Semi-Boite Nature with Brooch" (abbrev. SBN-b), nor a regular "Cabinet" (abbrev. SLB), but an "898 Cabinet" (abbrev. 898), which looks a lot like a SBN-b, but has the convex sides.

That would explain the packaging code at the website you linked to

v898Cab10 (varnished 898 cab of 10), v898Cab25 (varnished 898 cab of 25)

I've never seen an 898 cab of 10, although I remember Mr Klugs a while back wondering whether it should not more accurately be called a box of 3-4-3s.

So everybody's right! Yay! Enjoy those cigars!


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## Cadillac (Feb 28, 2007)

I've had singles of these, & enjoyed them. I also have a 10 box, and just purchased another 25.


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## kjd2121 (Jul 13, 2006)

Corona Gigante said:


> It's 8-9-8, not 8-5-8 (you're thinking of Fuentes, right?). The 8-9-8 refers to the number of cigars in each of the three layers, so you're never going to see them in anything other than boxes of 25.


My bad - I mis typed 898 as 858 - Definately not thinking of Fuente - :tu


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## BigRonS (Apr 5, 2008)

btw, just an update, contemplating a 2nd box.. lol :tu

love these!


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## Bubba -NJ (Dec 6, 2005)

I tried one tonight . Great flavor but still to wet , just wouldn't stay lit , need more time to dry out from transport . Tasted nuts and kind of a champagne type dry grapes flavor . Got Feb 01 code .


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## Addiction (May 8, 2007)

You do realize asking this question here is like asking a Vegas dealer should you keep playing or asking a stripper should you tip her....


BigRonS said:


> Hey guys.. im having a little curiosity about some Partagas 898's..
> 
> Now while ive had a handful fo these in my life, and ive enjoyed everyone of these, i have a little dilemna. Id like to pick up a box, *but they are 2001's..*
> 
> ...


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## kjd2121 (Jul 13, 2006)

BigRonS said:


> btw, just an update, contemplating a 2nd box.. lol :tu
> 
> love these!


Hey BigRon, I did just that and split it with a friend. I asked for '99's and again got 99's.

See this thread - http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=153839&highlight=898v


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## Bubba -NJ (Dec 6, 2005)

Bubba -NJ said:


> I tried one tonight . Great flavor but still to wet , just wouldn't stay lit , need more time to dry out from transport . Tasted nuts and kind of a champagne type dry grapes flavor . Got Feb 01 code .


I tried a second on Saturday and it was plugged and had burn problems also . Anybody else having problems with the 898's from 01 ?


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## TheDirector (Nov 22, 2006)

Recently recieved 01 box. A very good smoke ALOT of caramel flavour! Best smoking gar' in my coolerdor.


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## One Lonely Smoker (Jan 21, 2005)

Bubba -NJ said:


> I tried one tonight . Great flavor but still to wet , just wouldn't stay lit , need more time to dry out from transport . Tasted nuts and kind of a champagne type dry grapes flavor . Got Feb 01 code .


What a great characterization...I taste the grapey flavor too, not like grape juice, but the same type of lip-smacking tang that grape juice or wine has. I love 898's.
As some advice to another poster in this thread. If you have concerns or fears that a cigar MIGHT smoke tight, either from reputation or just plain weight-feel in the hand, let it sit out overnight, it won't go bad. And for God's sake, will people please stop LIGHTING cigars, THEN discovering that they won't draw? What a waste of a cigar through lack of forethought. Test the draw and if it is not to your liking, throw it into a dry cedar box and cut another cigar. Once you start thinking about it a bit, you will chuck alot fewer cigars.


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